Meeting Public Comments

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

Comments Submitted:

02-10-2026

Jessica Bleile

Please OPPOSE this bill. While the goal of creating safe environments for homeless individuals is important, it is crucial to ensure that legislation does not inadvertently harm the very populations it aims to protect. The bill risks increasing stigmatization by perpetuating assumptions about people experiencing homelessness. This could further alienate individuals who are already marginalized. By focusing on punitive measures, the bill may deter individuals from seeking necessary services, creating additional barriers. This approach could exacerbate the challenges faced by homeless individuals rather than alleviating them. The bill proposes penalties and potential funding cuts for service providers, which could lead to a reduction in available support and services. This decrease in resources would likely result in an increase in homelessness, counteracting the purpose of trying to prevent and end homelessness.

02-10-2026

Megan Kin

I strongly oppose this bill. These policies disproportionately punish people for being unhoused while failing to address the root causes of addiction. Housing, treatment access, and harmreduction strategies are far more effective and costefficient than enforcement and penalties. I urge you to reject this bill and invest in solutions that prioritize health, dignity, and proven outcomes.

02-10-2026

Crystal Primus

I oppose HSB 705. This bill will increase deaths & homelessness in Iowa while contradicting evidencebased practices.Iowa's crisis: 17k Iowa households will experience homelessness in 2025a 56% increase in unsheltered population since 2023. Iowa's shelter system already operates with a "resource deficit" & insufficient beds. Polk County alone saw 715 homeless individuals, an 11% increase.Harm to those seeking treatment: Lowbarrier shelters reduce mortality by 35% (American Journal of Public Health). Medicationassisted treatment reduces opioid deaths by 50% (NIDA)this bill prohibits it in shelters. Iowa's overdose deaths declined only 7% vs. 27% nationally because Iowa is one of just five states banning fentanyl test strips and syringe services. Experts say Iowa laws already "impede officials' ability to save lives."Economic impact: Overdose deaths cost $1.3 million each vs. $4,500 annually for harm reduction (NEJM). The threeyear funding ban will shutter shelters entirely.

02-10-2026

Sean Fain

I oppose this bill. To my reading the bill adds unrealistic restrictions on homeless facilities by requiring a controlled substance exclusion footprint that would exceed the controllable property of the provider. Moreover, often homeless facilities manage prescribed drugs for shelter tenants, which would be prohibited as written. Finally, there is no correlation between punitive law enforcement that suggests this would help increase or encourage the transition from homeless to housed citizens. In fact, an unintended consequence may be additional fees and a punitive record that will increase the barriers to finding work and attaining financial independence.

02-10-2026

Abby Bankes

I strongly oppose this bill and urge you to as well. HSB 705 neglects to consider the humanity of those experiencing addiction and the nuances of serving those experiencing both addiction and housing insecurity. HOUSING is a fundamental part of treating addiction in a meaningful way, so taking it away (and punishing service providers) is short sighted and inhumane. The bill also does not differentiate between types of controlled substances. For example, MAT (Medically Assisted Treatment) prescriptions would be punished by this bill forcing people to choose between housing and healthcare. Testosterone which is prescribed regularly to all types of men is also considered a controlled substance. This bill is both poorly written and deeply in opposition to everything we know about best practices in treating addiction. This bill was introduced and shut down last session I urge you to PLEASE do the same today.

02-10-2026

Connie Alt

Please do not move this bill forward. All such facilities are doing their best with limited funding and difficult circumstances. This threat on facilities is unwarranted, and unwise. It will cause far more harm than good. Making folks that are doing their best to provide minimal life sustaining support to vulnerable Iowans into drug enforcement officers is WRONG.

02-10-2026

Joanna Sinnwell [NAMI ]

This bill is outrageously wrongheaded. Homeless service providers would be criminally liable for otherwise legal and medically necessary activities, such as medication management, where the medication is a controlled substance (e.g., certain prescriptions for anxiety or nerve pain are controlled substances).The bill's criminalization of these otherwise legal activities will render it difficult to hire and retain qualified staff in these roles.Increased penalties for individuals in crisis are unduly punitive with no correlating benefit. Sign posting requirements in the bill apply to domestic violence shelters that provide homeless services, which is a violation of Iowa law.. For this and so many other reasons, this bill puts vulnerable Iowans at risk for activities over which they have no control. Its like you are trying to make it harder to get people the help they need to get OUT of their dire conditions!

02-10-2026

Janis Taylor [Inside Out Reentry Community for returning formerly incarcerated people]

HSB 705 may have originally had very positive goals, but when looked at from its likely results in the real world, it must be voted down. We have a huge homelessness problem. Any group or individual working to alleviate this situation should be supported and encouraged, not punished and penalized. Yes, we need to do everything we can to prevent the harmful use of illegal drugs, but cutting off funding for the group that did not use or bring the drugs on the premises is attacking the wrong entity. Instead we need more substance abuse centers and services to reduce the problem (drug use) at its source, not punish those trying to help the unfortunate victims.

02-10-2026

Caitlyn Kupka

Please oppose this bill! This bill puts vulnerable Iowans at risk for activities over which they have no control. This bill proposes funding cuts to service providers that will take away needed services in the community, creating an increase in homelessness.

02-10-2026

Kelley Schmitz [Friends of the Family]

I stand in strong opposition to this bill. It will only be harmful for vulnerable populations as well as programs working to provide needed resources and supports to their communities. Please do not move this forward!

02-10-2026

Sydney Uhlman

I strongly oppose HSB 705. This legislation was introduced in 2025 as part of a wider bill that Iowans were overwhelmingly opposed to, including the provisions here. We have many amazing homeless service providers that are doing their best to provide high quality services during times when many providers have had abrupt funding cuts or fears/uncertainties. This will be extremely harmful to many of our must vulnerable neighbors, as others describe. One harm is, as written, this bill will criminalize clients and organizations if a client engages in prescribed medical treatment. If a client possessed a controlled substance, which includes things like buprenorphine (an effective and accessible option for substance use treatment) or pregabalin (used for epilepsy), they would face a minimum $2000 fine. Additionally, the worker/organization would face incarceration of up to 2 years, a fine of up to $8,540, and loss of funding for 3 years. Support our neighbors, NO on HSB 705.

02-10-2026

Alyssa Trapp

02-10-2026

Alyssa Trapp

02-10-2026

Candice Lanning [Friends of the Family ]

I am opposed to this bill. It will harm unsheltered people and the organizations who work to help them. Expecting the organizations who operate shelters to police their blocks is unrealistic. They dont have the resources to do so. Shelters are an important part of the whole housing process. If you pass this bill it will reduce the number of them.

02-10-2026

Sydney Uhlman

NO on HSB 705. I wanted to add an additional comment to note that this bill is unfunded, meaning that organizations would be responsible for paying for the mandatory signage. Given that a significant amount of homeless assistance dollars go towards scatteredsite rental assistance where clients hold the leases in apartments or other rental units throughout a community this would be a massive cost that would take away valuable dollars for housing. Additionally, many recipients of homeless services are individuals and families fleeing domestic violence. These signs which require contrasting colors and block letters at least 1 inch in height to make them highly visible would be extremely dangerous and even lifethreatening for our neighbors fleeing domestic violence and the staff and organizations who support them. Please OPPOSE this bill.

02-10-2026

Jon Nance [Friends of the Family]

Please oppose this bill. Its absurd, far overreaching in scope and will add unnecessary burden to a vulnerable population. Furthermore, it will penalize and restrict the very providers and agencies the federal government works closely with that offer help and services to these individuals and families, some who require (and deserve) significant care, attention, assistance and ongoing case management in order to overcome many of the barriers they face in breaking free from homelessness. Youre ensuring a perpetuation of homelessness in our state if this moves forward. Be smarter. Do better.

02-10-2026

Ben Brustkern

Please oppose HSB 705. Shelters across Iowa work hard everyday to help keep communities safe while working extremely tight budgets. Drug free zones do not promote stability and safety for Iowans it only pushes people away from services. Domestic violence shelters provide services to women and children that are experiencing homelessness and homeless shelters provide safety for victims in so many communities. Requiring signage identifying shelters in Iowa will only create further safety issues for victims and violate federal law for domestic violence shelters. We can all work towards helping vulnerable Iowans move forward but punishing providers and those experiencing homelessness does not make Iowa safer.

02-10-2026

Casey Reints

I oppose this bill, which would add unnecessary barriers for people facing addiction and housing security, while simultaneously jeopardizing the funding of organizations who aim to end homelessness in Iowa. This bill is dangerous and unnecessary. Please vote no.

02-10-2026

Susan Waterman

Please do not let this bill advance. In a perfect world it would be great to have a drug free environment. But we do not live in a perfect world! this bill would harm many who need the services provided. It would also harm those providing the services. Please do not advance this bill.

02-10-2026

Clair Jones

I strongly oppose HSB 705. This bill is unnecessary and punitive, and it will hurt both people experiencing homelessness and the organizations trying to support them. The behavior this bill targets is already illegal, yet it adds new criminal penalties that fall hardest on people in crisis and make it harder for them to regain stability. It also puts unrealistic responsibility on service providers for things that happen on nearby private property they dont own or control, putting critical funding at risk for entire communities. The bill conflicts with existing landlordtenant law, undermines privacy rights, and even criminalizes medically necessary activities like medication management. With no funding included, this unfunded mandate risks pushing experienced providers out of service, worsening staffing shortages, and reducing access to shelter and housing across Iowa. Criminalizing homelessness has never worked, and this bill would only make things worse.

02-10-2026

Mary Stefaniak

I urge you to oppose HSB 705 because it will cause irreparable harm to homeless people and those who do the difficult and essential work of providing them with lifesaving support. "Establishing drugfree homeless service zones" sound good, but it imposes penalties on homeless service providers for acts over which they have no control. Among other ill effects of the bill, a threeyear lossoffunding penalty will close the doors of homeless shelters that are saving lives. Please do not move this bill forward.

02-10-2026

Amy Stetzel [Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)]

Thank you, House Subcommittee members Gustoff, Gearhart, and Levin for the opportunity to submit comments on HSB 705. I acknowledge the pressure that you are facing from constituents to help people who are experiencing homelessness, and we agree that more can be done. But, addressing homelessness through increased enforcement, mandated substance use treatment, and expanded law enforcement involvement have historically proven to be both costly and ineffective, with cities, counties, and states carrying the cost burden of financing homelessness enforcement since federal funding for homelessness cannot be used for policing. Please see the attached PDF for my full comments.

Attachment

02-10-2026

Lainey Stahle

I oppose HSB 705. This bill would punish homeless service providers for actions they cannot control and take critical resources away from people in crisis. Cutting funding over activity on nearby private property makes no sense and will only cause more harm, instability, and suffering in our communities. Iowa should be strengthening support systems, not dismantling them.

02-10-2026

Kris Vervaecke

It is essential that you strongly oppose HSB 705, which would criminalize the necessary tasks performed by shelter staff to safeguard and distribute prescriptions for some of the unhoused persons needing care. "Controlled substances" are perfectly legal, medical prescriptions required by a notinsignificant percentage of people, housed and unhoused, that help manage any number of medical conditions; it makes no sense whatsoever to criminalize staff for properly giving unhoused people their prescribed medications. Further, this proposed bill goes so far as to include property outside of the premises of the shelter.Unhoused people in our community need thoughtfully crafted legislation which directs more resources for mental and physical health care. Please direct your attention to that end.

02-10-2026

Madison Gaffney

Please oppose this bill. This legislation could risk harming people experiencing homelessness by increasing stigma and further discouraging them from seeking services. Additionally penalties and funding cuts for providers may reduce support and ultimately worsen homelessness rather than prevent it.

02-10-2026

Brandy Wallar [New Visions Homeless Services]

I strongly oppose HSB 705 and ask that you do too. I run a lowbarrier shelter in Council Bluffs, and this bill would make it harder, not easier, for people experiencing homelessness to access the very services that help them survive and stabilize. It sends a clear message that people in crisis are not welcome in the places designed to help them. Instead of improving safety, this bill will push people further into the community and away from shelter, outreach, and support, exactly where they are more likely to be harmed and less likely to connect with treatment, housing, or basic care.HSB 705 also puts service providers and our staff at serious risk by creating supercharged penalties tied to programs and participants. The criminalization of shelter staff would make it nearly impossible to retain insurance coverage, which would force experienced, established providers out of service at a time when our communities cant afford to lose a single bed or program.

02-10-2026

CHRISTINE SCHLOTFELT

I oppose HSB 705. This bill will make it very difficult to provide services to homeless persons. Staff at homeless shelters must be able to manage their clients' medications, including those medications that are on the list of controlled substances. And homeless service providers cannot be punished for illegal activities that take place on private properties that are within 300 feet of the homeless shelter; those activities are not within their control and should have no impact on the shelter's funding.

02-10-2026

Katie Smith

I oppose this bill and urge others to as well. While creating safe, substance free spaces for recovery and healing are absolutely needed, whats outlined in this bill isnt the way to do it. Its likely it will do more harm than good at the expense of a people who are already so vulnerable and face many obstacles as it is. Please, oppose this.

02-10-2026

Clara Coly

I oppose this bill. Adding additional barriers for Iowans already struggling with addiction and homelessness is cruel and ineffective. The enforcement of criminalizing homelessness falls on our local police, who are already stretched thin, and will prevent them from addressing actual criminal behavior. Please vote no on this bill so that the homeless response system can invest in evidence based practices to rehousing Iowans and support their flourishing.

02-10-2026

Ross Brackett

Please don't pass HSB 705. I've lived in a city where there weren't enough shelter beds, and far too many people died every year from exposure. It was sickening. We don't want that here in Iowa.Even an imperfect shelter keeps a person out of the brutal Iowa winter and gives them another day to turn their life around.

02-10-2026

Nathan Williams

This bill does not realistically solve any meaningful problems related to supporting people experiencing homelessness. Punitive responses are demonstrated to exacerbate substance use and chronic homelessness. As a pastor, I know that people enduring homelessness often would like constructive help addressing substance use as well as other needs. They need support and flexibility, not prohibition and punishment. HSB 705 would place an additional barrier between many homeless individuals and the support they need. Stop this bill.

02-10-2026

Jordan Belknap

This bill is not going to help anyone in the community. It wont make anyone safer and it wont help in anyones recovery. Implemented it will only make life harder for homeless individuals. It doesnt address the root of the problems that cause homelessness and addiction. It is oppressive to the poor. I implore you to oppose this bill.

02-10-2026

Susan Futrell

I urge you not to move HSB 705 forward. As written it will have unintended damaging consequences to the wellbeing of those served by homeless facilities, and to the providers of those services. The Bill creates unenforceable zones that extend beyond the property of those being held responsible, adds unduly harsh penalties for activities that are already regulated by existing laws, and puts at risk the very organizations that are providing drugfree services in our communities. These organizations have experience and knowledge and provide essential services in communities throughout the state. If you are serious about addressing the problem this bill purports to address, I urge you to work closely with existing homeless service organizations to craft more effective and appropriate solutions.

02-10-2026

Angie Arthur

I strongly urge the subcommittee to vote NO on HSB705. There are several concerns with this bill. Below are a few of them. The criminal activities outlined in the bill are already illegal, making this duplicative and unnecessary.Providers and facilities are accountable, by the letter of the bill (300 ft requirement), for activities occurring on others' private property and over which they have no legal right to enter, monitor, or control behaviorsSignage requirements encompass providers that include domestic violence shelters, which is a violation of Iowa law.

02-10-2026

Ron Jackson

This bill has serious problems and as written should be defeated. I'm not sure if this bill is written as is as a means of demonizing homeless people, ir just seriously misguided. How a homeless shelter can be held responsible for actions outside of it's control or for helping people manage their legally prescribed prescriptions is absurd!Please act like human beings and do the right thing and defeat this ridiculously written piece of legislation.

02-10-2026

Jeffrey Anderson [Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church]

The United Methodist Church advocates for the eradication of homelessness, viewing it as a systemic injustice rather than a personal failure. We are guided by the belief that all people deserve safe, stable housing. We are concerned that HSB 705 would stigmatize those who need help while doing nothing to address the root causes of homelessness and that provisions in the bill that would criminalize programs and service providers will only exacerbate the shortage of services that exist. Rather than a punitive bill that does nothing to eliminate or mitigate the underlying cause of homelessness, we would advocate for policies to address housing shortages, that increase access to mental health and healthcare services, and that address the issues of drug and alcohol dependency. We would ask that you please not support HSB 705.

02-10-2026

Judith Crossett

HSB 705 should be opposed. It is unworkable: it demands that facilities serving those who are homeless take responsibility for actions they do not control or supervise. No person or entity can be responsible for actions which take place at a location over which they have no ownership. The bill is also dangerous: it indiscriminately penalizes medical as well as non medical uses of controlled substances. As a physician (retired, adult psychiatry) I know that medications do not control people, but they do enable people to control themselves and to function in society. From inpatient hospitalization we always hope we have stabilized the patient to be able to succeedif the patient continues the prescribed medication. Those we discharge to homeless shelters are vulnerable. If we take away their ability to comply with medication after discharge, we are condemning them to rehospitalization at best, to becoming victims of neglect and violence.

02-11-2026

Fritha Coltrain

This bill is short on management and neglecting in awareness of essential details of the problem. Simply housing someone does not change their circumstances or lived experience. Signs and penalties might slow it down?Arrest people who want to work with those who WANT TO CHANGE?If your goal is to get people housed and create a safe environment. HOW do you welcome them in and help them even begin to make changes too

02-11-2026

Fritha Coltrain

02-11-2026

Celeste Durant

This bill does nothing to address the need for support to solve the issue with homelessness only to make it a criminal issue and make these individuals less visible in areas deemed important ny the state. Increase funding to supports that provide housing first, keep families together, fund Medicare, and other support structures necessary to maintain stable housing. We need more low income housing units, more traumainformed training for people working with this community, and fewer barriers to success. This bill only hurts an already vulnerable population.

02-11-2026

Anessa Smith

I am writing to urge you to OPPOSE HSB 705. In my work, I see how much our communities rely on a network of services. This bill would destabilize that network by penalizing organizations for variables that are simply beyond their legal control.We all want safe, drugfree neighborhoods, but holding a service provider responsible for activity on public sidewalks or in their general vicinity sets them up to fail. When these organizations face fines or lose funding, they are forced to cut services. The need for help doesnt go away when a facility closes; it just moves to other public spaces. Punishing the groups and organizations trying to help only creates further barriers to care. Please reject this punitive approach and vote no on HSB 705.

02-11-2026

Tasha Jones

Oppose this bill. I understand the need to create a drug free and safe environment for all including the community around shelters. This bill doesn't help the problem being addressed but rather creates more of a barrier for those who are seeking supports and wanting to change their lives. Holding a nonprofit responsible for another person's actions is beyond reasonable. There needs to be another option to consider to address the concerns.

02-11-2026

Wendy BROWN

I strongly urge you to oppose this bill. Though I believe we all want to keep our shelters safe, the punishments built into the bill would yield inadvertent consequences which would be devastating for the very people we are trying serve and protect.

02-11-2026

Laura Moser

Please oppose this bill, which is woefully misguided and underresearched. The proposed restrictions and penalties in this bill would only serve to hinder people from seeking the services they need, and would restrict service providers from providing legal, medically necessary care and services. This bill does nothing to address root causes of drug use and addiction, or to create safer spaces for those in need of shelter. This subcommittee should focus on expanding shelter services that are desperately needed right now, not on coming up with new ways to punish the homeless and new hoops for service providers to jump through.

02-11-2026

Brigid Martin

I strongly oppose HSB 705. Not only does it disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of our communities, it also places undue pressure on our law enforcement to uphold the ruling and enforce it when they could be focusing elsewhere. I recognize that our state government doesn't actually care about making the lives of those who are struggling and unhoused better, but your constituents do, and I hope that you take the public comments into consideration and oppose this bill that is meant only for cruelty and doesn't consider the things that actually provide an exit from homelessness, such as rehabilitation programs and funded services.

02-11-2026

Crissy Canganelli [Shelter House]

I am grateful for your attention to the very real crisis of homelessness in our state. This bill; however, will cause more harm to the people we are trying to serve, and for that reason I strongly oppose HSB 705. The bill's criminalization of otherwise legal and medicallynecessary activities, such as medication management, would remove a stabilizing and lifesaving service from communities.Increasing penalties forindividuals in crisis is punitive with no correlating benefit, as1) criminal justice involvement is negatively correlated with exiting homelessness and 2) increased debt would lengthen the amount of time to achieve financial stability.As it relates to providers, HSB705's criminalization of staff would render retaining their insurance providers nearly impossible, thereby taking experienced, established providers out of service. We cannot end homelessness if we cannot retain our excellent, committed staff who dedicate their lives to helping vulnerable populations.

02-11-2026

Alisha Williams

I strongly oppose this immoral and unethical bill that violated the human rights of the unhoused and would make all life in Iowa even worse (how is that even possible at this point?) we have much more serious issues to worry about like water quality than over policing people who already have to bear the brunt if systemic failures of our legislature. Shame on anyone who supports this inhumane bill.

02-11-2026

Morgan Stone

Please oppose this bill. It would tremendously cut back the support that homeless service providers are able to offer, and it would seriously hurt the people who depend on those services every day.Instead of putting more punishment on people dealing with addiction and homelessness, we should be investing in harm reduction and more substanceuse treatment statewide. These approaches actually help people get stable and move forward, something this bill works against.

02-11-2026

Christine Hayes

I strongly oppose HSB 705 and respectfully request that subcommittee members not advance it today.Providers are accountable, by the letter of the bill, for otherwise legal and medically necessary activities, such as medication management, where the medication is a controlled substance. The bill's penalties are disproportionate. If, for example, a person unconnected to the provider transferred a substance on nearby private property over which operator has no control that is within 300 feet, the provider could not receive state funding for three years. This would impact every individual in crisis in that community for the next three yearswith that harm ultimately extending to families, businesses, school, and citiesas people no longer have homeless services in their communities.HSB705's criminalization of staff would discourage dedicated professionals from joining or remaining in the field, removing experienced, established professionals from this critical work.

02-11-2026

Kim Smith

I strongly oppose this bill. I do not know of a single shelter where drug use or the selling of drugs are allowed. This bill seems to make shelter staff responsible for illegal activities that occur off their property. How is it realistic that any business can be responsible for the decisions people make? When individuals receiving services violate the rules, they are removed from the program. This bill would seek to make shelter staff responsible for activities outside of their control and penalize them. Shelter staff are not police. They do not have the authority to follow clients off property and insist that they follow the law. Please do not advance this bill. It will hurt our communities in substantial ways.

02-11-2026

Sarah Johnson

I strongly oppose this bill. This bill does nothing to improve the lives of Iowans and rather puts the most vulnerable at risk of further harm. Harm reduction services are an essential part of caring for at risk communities and criminalization does nothing but deter people from seeking treatment. Further, funding has already been cut for key services by the state and federal government making it harder and harder for Iowans to care for themselves and their communities. To continue to threaten and cut funding for public services shows an utter disregard for the people who you serve.

02-11-2026

Jessica Schlader [Opening Doors]

Opening Doors strongly opposes HSB 705. This bill imposes enhanced penalties for conduct already illegal while labeling service sites as Drug Free Homeless Service Zones, further stigmatizing people seeking help. Criminal justice involvement is negatively correlated with exiting homelessness, and increased fines and penalties will only deepen instability and delay financial recovery.Equally troubling, the bill exposes nonprofit providers and staff to potential criminal liability, threatening insurability and the viability of essential services. This would destabilize trusted community programs without improving public safety.We urge lawmakers to reject HSB 705 and instead invest in housing, treatment, and evidencebased solutions that promote stability and dignity.

02-11-2026

Nate Nims [Walnut Hills UMC]

As a pastor in the United Methodist Church, I advocate for the eradication of homelessness, recognizing it as a systemic injustice rather than a personal failure. Our faith is guided by the belief that all people deserve safe, stable housing. With that, I am concerned that HSB 705 would stigmatize those who need help while doing nothing to address the root causes of homelessness, and that provisions in the bill would criminalize programs and service providers, exacerbating the shortage of services that exist. Rather than a punitive bill that does nothing to eliminate or mitigate the underlying cause of homelessness, we should advocate for policies to address housing shortages and increase access to mental health and healthcare services, as well as address the issues of drug and alcohol dependency. I would ask that you not support HSB 705.